Clements by the numbers: tough or torched?

By all accounts, Nate Clements had a solid first season with the 49ers. The high-priced cornerback ranked third on the team with 110 tackles, tied for first with four interceptions and led the team with three forced fumbles.

Damning stuff? Probably not, actually. It’s more likely these lists demonstrate the tricky nature of football statistics: It’s hard to isolate one player’s performance from the rest of the unit.

Two of the book’s co-authors are Bay Area guys and both of them agreed that Clements’ numbers are misleading. In fact, they both thought Clements had a strong season, too.

Here’s their explanation: The 49ers let Clements take on the opposing No. 1 receiver one-on-one at an unusually high rate. That scheme was supposed to free up another defender to do something else – rush the passer for instance – but the 49ers didn’t deliver on that part of the bargain. Clements surrendered a lot of yards, but it was more a measure of his help, not him.

Advertisement

I asked Clements the other day what stats he pays attention to. “When you’re a defensive back, the first thing people always ask is: How many picks did you have?’’

Interceptions matter to Clements, too, but he said it doesn’t reveal enough. It doesn’t show how many times an opponent didn’t even bother throwing to your side of the field, for example.

Clements said he was proud of his first season with the 49ers but promised there is more to come. His most important number? One – as in his desire to make his first trip to the postseason.

“I’m definitely hungry for that for a taste of that atmosphere,’’ Clements said. “I’ve just watched it on TV.”

Daniel Brown

Post navigation

Where’s the stat that lists total number of passing plays DBs were on the field for? I’m sure he’d be up there on that list as well.

Erik

Hey Dan – Very interesting stuff. I agree it’s a bit misleading, too, but anyone who watched Clements last year knows that he’s not a shut-down corner. I thought he looked like a very good all-around corner with above average cover skills. He’s a fantastic tackler and run defender for a corner. Unfortunately, pure cover skills are more valuable at that position, just ask Deion Sanders. For the money he signed for, seems like he shouldn’t be at the top of these infamous lists, no matter what the excuse.

Roscoe

I think that Erik summed it up nicely.

BellevueMike

Erik is right. He is not a shut-down corner. I watched enough of him last year to know that he’s an average cover guy. Larry Fitzgerald, Torry Holt, Braylon Edwards, etc., ate him alive. It had little to do with the pass rush. He simply doesn’t blanket guys and the big guys like Edwards and Fitzgerald overmatch him.

He particularly stunk on the first series of games in which opposing QB’s like Warner and Bulger went right at him and destroyed him. Does anyone remember the first series in the Cardinal game in AZ? Fitzgerald made it look like Clements wasn’t even there.

He’s a great tackler, punt returner and fumble forcer, but those are bonuses when you’re paid $10M to be a blanket.

The idea of a shut-down corner is that QB’s are afraid to throw at you. In Clements’ case they went right at him and immediately in nearly every game. Drew Brees threw a bomb on the FIRST play of the Saints’ game at the Stick and hit Colston for 40 yards right in Clements’ face. There was no hesitation. No fear. Happened all season long.

http://prosportslinks.blogspot.com Cal

There is no such thing as a shutdown corner anymore. Name one. Even Deion Sanders would have problems covering T.O. on a slant or Colston on a jump ball. And Sanders’ had an inability to tackle that would prove a huge liability these days with these bigger, stronger wideouts.

mike W

Bravo, Erik. Clements is in the top 1/3 of NFL cornerbacks, but no where near “shut down” status. That said, I’d love to see how he’d do with a decent pass rush. Can anyone identify the NY Giants starting CB’s for their amazing postseason run? Didn’t think so…

JOE

WHAT ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT ? HE IS ONE OF THE BEST CORNERS IN THE NFL. WATCH SOME GAMES BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH.

Jay

LOL R U guys serious??? Clements is everything we havent had in a CB in 10 yrs. Cant believe you would bag on this guy. His contract is over blown… He makes ways less then advertised and is still worth every penny. Guys a football player period. Lets put you on an ISLAND by yourself to guard the other teams best WR 75 percent of the time and see how you do w/ no pass rush.

STATS dont measure heart, talent, and drive to get better. He has all 3.

AllGo

Agree with the question on number of plays. I think raw yardage and 1D stats don’t tell too much about CBs. IIRC he was in for virtually every defensive snap, and given the performance of the offense I’d venture the 9ers were near tops in # of defensive plays.

Also agree with the comment on no more shutdown corners. There must be 1/2 dozen top flight WRs too big for Deion to cover.

He consistently looks to be the top defender on the field save Willis. I think he’s earning the contract, which was a shade above market value for the top corner in free agency.

Garry

The stats fail to state what percentage of the time was he going against the opposing teams #1 receiver. From what I heard he was in the #1 for that category. From the Niner Insider blog on another newspaper:

“And according to the game charters at our favorite web site, profootballoutsiders.com, he took the opposition’s best receiver more than any other NFL corner – a whopping 63 percent of the time. ”